In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two…
Read MoreDomestic violence is on the church’s radar. Perhaps this is due to the cultural moment we are living in, increased reporting from victims, or the work of the Holy Spirit. Whatever the reason, churches are paying attention to domestic violence like never before. Did you know 1 in 3 women have been victims…
Read MoreI stopped listening so much to the political noise around contemporary issues and started doing three key things that I want to tell you about in this article. They are as simple as they are largely unpracticed. Ready for them? First, I started listening to people at the heart of the “issue.” I’ll…
Read MoreAs managing editor of our Church channel, I get to work with a team of insightful, gifted writers who think deeply about God, the world, spiritual health, ministry, current events, Scripture, and so much more. As we lean into 2018, I’m pleased to look back on 2017 and share with you these most-read…
Read MoreIs it just me, or does thinking about this world sometimes leave you with such a feeling of deep sorrow that it depresses your soul and rapidly squeezes the air out of your lungs, leaving you gasping for a breath that never seems to come? These thoughts flood me every time I see…
Read MoreDo you agree or disagree with the following statement? Each person should suffer the consequences for the mistakes they make. I’m going to guess that you hedged your bets. You likely didn’t say a straight-up true or a flat-out false. Perhaps your answer is like mine: “It depends.” For Vanna In, youth pastor at the North…
Read MoreLately, social media has been the “go-to” space for hosting conversations that challenge societal constructs and offer a platform for previously silenced narratives. We’ve seen this over and over again in discussions related to race, gender, sexuality, and faith. The #metoo movement has been one such example, emerging again after 10 years in hopes of…
Read MoreThe recent hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and shootings remind us that we are not in control. Still … we think we should be. One only has to read through the recent onslaught of tweets, or listen to the news-anchor arguments surrounding the NFL #takeaknee protests to see this. We crave control. I use the…
Read MoreAt the site of Jacob’s well, which is still in existence today, Jesus met a Samaritan woman on his way back to Galilee and asked her for a drink of water. We find many discrepancies at play within the breadth of this narrative and its culture: local women did not draw water alone,…
Read MoreI’ve been thinking a lot lately about when, where, and how to speak out about social issues such as immigration, race, and religion in public discourse. Do I say something from the pulpit or does that make it a bully pulpit? Do I post stuff and fight the futile battle for moral high…
Read MoreThe CHARIS website hosts conversations of and about Churches of Christ. In partnership with the ACU Library and the Siburt Institute for Church Ministry at Abilene Christian University (Abilene, TX), the website is supported and led by the Center for Heritage and Renewal in Spirituality (CHARIS) at ACU. The Center’s mission is to renew Christian spirituality through engagement of Christian heritage, at Abilene Christian University and beyond. The views expressed on the CHARIS website are those of the various authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Abilene Christian University or CHARIS at ACU. Questions or comments about the CHARIS website can be directed to charis @ acu.edu.
2017-18 CHARIS Editorial Board:
Dr. Carisse Berryhill
Dr. Jason Fikes
Karissa Herchenroeder
Mac Ice
Chai Green
Tammy Marcelain
Molly Scherer
Dr. John Weaver
